2020 Tesla Model 3 Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking Problems

NHTSA component category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING · data through 07/14/2026

81Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking complaints

18.7%Of all 434 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking ranks on this vehicle

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL105 · 24.2%

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING81 · 18.7%

Unspecified / other80 · 18.4%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL66 · 15.2%

SERVICE BRAKES46 · 10.6%

Share of the 434 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2020 Tesla Model 3 overview page.

What owners report

“I have had too many phantom braking incidents to count, it has happened hundreds of times since I bought the car. Most incidents were mild…”NHTSA complaint 11452460 — filed 02/17/2022

“While driving down Interstate-5 my Tesla has been known to automatically brake from traffic safe speeds down to 40 immediately. It has happened multiple times…”NHTSA complaint 11452392 — filed 02/17/2022

“automatic braking happens for no reason. Happened multiple times on freeway .”NHTSA complaint 11450615 — filed 02/05/2022

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2020 Tesla Model 3 have forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking problems?

Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2020 Tesla Model 3: 81 of 434 complaints on file (18.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2020 Tesla Model 3 have in total?

434 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 51 involved a crash, 2 involved a fire, 31 reported injuries, and 2 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.